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There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed (which is, of course, a mixture of the conductive and sensorineural) hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss occurs because there is a blockage between the outer ear, the middle ear, and/or the inner ear. This makes it difficult if not impossible for sound waves to travel throughout your ear and to the nerve fibers which translate said sounds to your brain. As a result, soft sounds can be difficult to perceive and, depending on the severity, louder sounds can become muffled.
With mixed hearing loss, there is generally a problem with how sound is conducted to the inner ear (this is also the case with conductive hearing loss). When mixed hearing loss occurs there is also often a problem with the hair cells that line the inner ear, they are damaged in some way shape or form (as happens in sensorineural hearing loss). Other forms of hearing loss occur when the brain has difficulty processing the information that sound contains. These are categorized under the broad umbrella of “auditory processing disorder.” When this is the case, the brain cannot make heads or tails of what location sounds are coming from, making it difficult to distinguish one sound from the next. Related, the brain has difficulty making sense of how sounds are ordered; it will be hard to, for example, block out background noise to understand a conversation.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common form that hearing loss takes shape: it accounts for about 90% of hearing loss. This form of hearing loss occurs when the tiny hair cells, called cochlear hair cells, in the inner ear become damaged or when there simply are not enough of them. This damage can occur at multiple times during a person’s life. Some people are born with damaged or too few of these cells, and as a result of hearing loss that runs in the family. It is also important to note that everybody experiences the loss or diminished capacity of cochlear hair cells over the course of their lifetime.
Often, however, these hair cells are damaged as the result of external forces. This can occur from exposure to illnesses and diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis, mumps, meningitis, and Ménière’s disease. Some people experience sensorineural hearing loss as the result of certain drugs that can be toxic to hearing. These can include aspirin, cisplatin, or quinine, but also the antibiotics such as streptomycin and gentamicin. One of the more scary, external causes of sensorineural hearing loss are accidents and falls that lead to blows to the head.
Sensorineural hearing loss is often caused by exposure to loud sounds, many of which occur in our everyday lives even if we are not necessarily aware of how they can negatively impact our hearing. This exposure to loud noises can happen in everyday work spaces, such as factories and sites that heavy machinery and large equipment, but also work zones with regular and sudden explosions. In fact, sudden and loud sounds happen out in the world as well, as when emergency vehicles with loud sirens blare. People often forget that we ourselves can negatively contribute to our hearing. One of the biggest culprits are in-ear headphones, which people frequently listen to at too loud a level. Using in-ear headphones and listening at a high volume can have long-term effects on your hearing. These headphones place the sound far closer to your eardrum than over-ear headphones, so it is important to limit your use of these headphones to 60 minutes a day and to listen at 60% of maximum volume.
Treating Hearing Loss
Hearing loss, whether sensorineural, conductive, or mixed, cannot be cured. Taking steps to familiarize yourself with the forms of hearing loss is a big step in taking the next steps to develop healthier hearing habits, which may include preventative measures (such as using earplugs) as well as simply communicating with your friends, coworkers, and loved ones about your changing hearing needs.
Perhaps the first and most important step, however, is to visit us at New Leaf Hearing Clinic, where a trusted hearing health professional will be able to safely and accurately assess your hearing capabilities and to help develop a plan moving forward.